The comb and brush have dominated the history of the hair grooming and styling devices. The latest generation of such implements include revolutionary hair grooming and styling devices which have had a major impact on the hair styling world. One of these innovations is the portable hair blow dryer. This invention virtually replaced the stationary hair salon blow dryers and the household hair dryers that looked liked a combination of a shower cap and a vacuum cleaner. Besides the time saved to dry hair, this hand held invention facilitated the creation of new hair styles and easier re-creation of salon hairstyles at home. In addition, the hair blow dryer prompted the invention of brushes specifically designed for use with a blow dryer. Two such brushes are the round brush and vent brush. With these brushes, in connection with a blow dryer, a beautician or a consumer is able to curl, feather, or add body to the hair. These manipulations were previously virtually impossible when using a conventional brush and comb.
One problem with the round brush is that hair gets caught around the handle when it is used to curl the hair. Another problem when curling the hair with a round brush is that it cannot be easily disengaged from the hair, especially from long hair. Furthermore, the round brush's numerous bristles become entangled with the hair and often the brush must be brutally pulled out and in doing so causes discomfort to the customer or consumer and may make the hair kinky instead of smooth. In addition, if the brush bristles were made out of low temperature softening plastic, they tend to melt or break down after extended exposure to the hot air of the blow dryer.
The vent brush is prone to be susceptible to this latter problem because it is conventionally made out of a plastic. The vent brush has several bristles that are spaced relatively far apart so that the hair will not become entangled in the bristles as it does with the round brush; however, the hair can still become entangled with the vent brush's handle if it is used to curl the hair. Thus, on the one hand, the vent brush doesn't kink the hair like the round brush, but on the other hand, the vent brush cannot curl the hair as effectively as a round brush.
The other revolutionary hair styling device is the modern curling iron. The curling iron curls the hair and essentially does the job that takes a blow dryer and round brush to do. Like the blow dryer, the curling iron virtually replaced its predecessor, hair curlers, and made re-creation of salon hairstyles easier and less time consuming. Of course, the curling iron also facilitated tighter curls, previously unattainable at home or with a comb alone.
The problem with the curling iron is that it can damage the hair if it is improperly used; in fact, a curling iron can literally fry the hair. Moreover, the exposed, electrically heated barrel of the curling iron subjects a consumer to skin burns, and is a danger to children, in general, if the device is mishandled while in use. Furthermore, the curling iron consumes more electrical energy than the blow dryer. Also, some curling irons come with bristles or other similar means which only add the problem of the hair becoming entangled with the device. The problem of the hair becoming entangled with the curling iron handle also exists as a potential problem.
Accordingly, a principal object of the present invention is to avoid the entanglement of the hair with the brush handle when the brush is being used to curl the hair in conjunction with a blow dryer. Another principal object of the present invention is to permit easier disengagement of hair which has been curled around the brush, thereby reducing the kinking effect produced by a round brush.